Army- Navy .500 Nitro Express built by Westley Richards in 1903 for sale $22,000 Factory Letter!

K E Johnson

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This rifle was in France and a AH member was looking for such a rifle, @rookhawk recommended that the member purchase it. It was imported to the U.S. and immediately sent to JJ Perodeau to inspect. JJ also modified the rib for an Trijicon reflex sight.

@Rare Breed was the member who purchased and had this fine rifle imported. I was fortunate to purchase the rifle from @Rare Breed about 18 months ago.

It is a little more rifle than I am comfortable with but I intended to take an animal with it before I let it go. I am selling for a little more than my purchase price, but less than I have invested. $22,000 is what I would like to realize from this sale.

Life changes things and my wife of 30 years left back in February without saying a word, just leaving a note. I talked her into marriage counseling to no avail.
I will never understand what went on inside her head for her to do everything she did.
She demanded a divorce and she got what she asked for. The time has come for me to let someone else enjoy this fine rifle.

28” barrels and non ejector, 15” to the front trigger. I purchased a Trijicon reflex sight base from JJ.

There is a “lifetime” of reloading components with this rifle. I would prefer to sell in the same manner I purchased it. I flew into the previous owner’s city and rented a car. I drove to inspect and drove home so I could bring the rifle and components home safely. If there are no interested parties willing to do this, I will modify the price and the new owner will be responsible for the actual shipping cost of the numerous components and rifle. The large number of components are very heavy, I calculated it to be about 70 lbs of projectiles alone.
The rifle came in a hard case that is not TSA approved.

There are primers and powder in this package that I cannot ship.
The loaded cartridges were loaded by the previous owner and I have shot some with no problems. If the new owner wishes, the new owner can pull the loaded rounds and be can used for components. I don’t typically even consider using someone else’s hand loads, but I was satisfied using with these.

The is a new Silvers recoil pad that I was going to use the widow’s peak from and attach a softer pad that is included as well.

Please message me with questions or requests for more pictures. I am having trouble with posting additional pictures, I am providing a link to the original sale thread. https://www.africahunting.com/threa...ifle-for-sale-i-am-the-toby-of-drs-lol.74437/

The reloading package consists of the following.

11 lbs IMR 3031. This is the suggested powder that @Rare Breed good success at achieving regulation.
200 Federal 215 primers.
72 cases once fired Bertram brass.
80 new in box Hornady cases.
4 Bertram loaded with Woodleigh bullets.
22 Bertram new and unprimed.
15 loaded with solids.
17 miscellaneous loaded rounds with various cases.
60 factory Federal Premium with Woodleigh Hydos, 570 gr.

Projectiles:
163 Swift AFrames, 570 grain.
19 Hornady DGX, not bonded, 570 gr.
150 Hornady DGS, 570 gr.
376 Woodleigh softs, 570 gr.
60 Woodleigh solids, 570 gr.
100 Woodleigh softs, 450 gr.
1 set RCBS dies.
2 sets Hornady dies.
1 bag of Kynoch N.E. foam wads.
IMG_2324.jpeg
 
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I’m so sorry to hear about your marriage & problems with the wife, it seems a common story in mature women/Marriages, I feel for so many Men who’s lives are destroyed by this/them !

What a fantastic rifle & caliber you have for sale there, I would truely love to get a rifle along those lines with all that extra gear.

Is there photos of the rifle & close ups of the action, would very much like to see them if nothing else ?

Ok I checked the link as I should have first, magnificent rifle & all the more for being a WR !
 
I don’t know why I am having so much trouble tonight loading pics.
I will try again tomorrow.
As I said, I can send them if someone messaged me contact information or I can FaceTime.
I did ask @Rare Breed if I could use his name, as I purchased it from him after meeting him and his lovely wife in their home. A most gracious couple.
 
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I had to resize the images to get them to attach. The pics in the other thread are much better.
 

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Not sure my opinion amounts to a hill of beans, but I liked this rifle when it was for sale in France. I liked it again when it was serviced in OK. I liked it again at rarebreeds. I still like it.

If it said Westley on it instead of ANCSL made by Westley, it’d be $5000-$8000 more money just for an extra line of engraved text.

GLWS.
 
This rifle was in France and a AH member was looking for such a rifle, @rookhawk recommended that the member purchase it. It was imported to the U.S. and immediately sent to JJ Perodeau to inspect. JJ also modified the rib for an Trijicon reflex sight.

@Rare Breed was the member who purchased and had this fine rifle imported. I was fortunate to purchase the rifle from @Rare Breed about 18 months ago.

It is a little more rifle than I am comfortable with but I intended to take an animal with it before I let it go. I am selling for a little more than my purchase price, but less than I have invested. $22,000 is what I would like to realize from this sale.

Life changes things and my wife of 30 years left back in February without saying a word, just leaving a note. I talked her into marriage counseling to no avail.
I will never understand what went on inside her head for her to do everything she did.
She demanded a divorce and she got what she asked for. The time has come for me to let someone else enjoy this fine rifle.

28” barrels and non ejector, 15” to the front trigger. I purchased a Trijicon reflex sight base from JJ.

There is a “lifetime” of reloading components with this rifle. I would prefer to sell in the same manner I purchased it. I flew into the previous owner’s city and rented a car. I drove to inspect and drove home so I could bring the rifle and components home safely. If there are no interested parties willing to do this, I will modify the price and the new owner will be responsible for the actual shipping cost of the numerous components and rifle. The large number of components are very heavy, I calculated it to be about 70 lbs of projectiles alone.
The rifle came in a hard case that is not TSA approved.

There are primers and powder in this package that I cannot ship.
The loaded cartridges were loaded by the previous owner and I have shot some with no problems. If the new owner wishes, the new owner can pull the loaded rounds and be can used for components. I don’t typically even consider using someone else’s hand loads, but I was satisfied using with these.

The is a new Silvers recoil pad that I was going to use the widow’s peak from and attach a softer pad that is included as well.

Please message me with questions or requests for more pictures. I am having trouble with posting additional pictures, I am providing a link to the original sale thread. https://www.africahunting.com/threa...ifle-for-sale-i-am-the-toby-of-drs-lol.74437/

The reloading package consists of the following.

11 lbs IMR 3031. This is the suggested powder that @Rare Breed good success at achieving regulation.
200 Federal 215 primers.
72 cases once fired Bertram brass.
80 new in box Hornady cases.
4 Bertram loaded with Woodleigh bullets.
22 Bertram new and unprimed.
15 loaded with solids.
17 miscellaneous loaded rounds with various cases.
60 factory Federal Premium with Woodleigh Hydos, 570 gr.

Projectiles:
163 Swift AFrames, 570 grain.
19 Hornady DGX, not bonded, 570 gr.
150 Hornady DGS, 570 gr.
376 Woodleigh softs, 570 gr.
60 Woodleigh solids, 570 gr.
100 Woodleigh softs, 450 gr.
1 set RCBS dies.
2 sets Hornady dies.
1 bag of Kynoch N.E. foam wads.
View attachment 634607
This indeed an incredible package bar none! The rifle is perfect per JJ Perodeaus statement not mine. The only reason I sold it is I do better with a short barrel just me. When you look at this package with all the reloading components it is a steal at $22,000
 
I don’t know why I am having so much trouble tonight loading pics.
I will try again tomorrow.
As I said, I can send them if someone messaged me contact information or I can FaceTime.
I did ask @Rare Breed if I could use his name, as I purchased it from him after meeting him and his lovely wife in their home. A most gracious couple.
I will be happy to answer any questions about this package…you can PM me if you wish
 
Not sure my opinion amounts to a hill of beans, but I liked this rifle when it was for sale in France. I liked it again when it was serviced in OK. I liked it again at rarebreeds. I still like it.

If it said Westley on it instead of ANCSL made by Westley, it’d be $5000-$8000 more money just for an extra line of engraved text.

GLWS.
@rookhawk is always so incredibly humble as all of us know!!! He is the master as far as I am concerned!!!
 
Thank you @towserthemouser! I do appreciate the kind thoughts.
I had felt I to cancel the hunt we had booked for this year.My marriage was more important to me and I wanted the outfitter to be able to re book the dates. Finances were also of concern as I am sure you can imagine. So much for buff and tuskless this year.
I still hope to make it someday, I will have to wait and see.
 
I personally vouch for Kevin as an honorable person and a friend Buy with confidence from him!!!!!
 
And built on that gorgeous Webley & Scott PHV-1 action. Cream of the crop.

I’m so sorry to hear about your marriage. I divorced my wife too in 1986. She wasn’t always a bad woman (just a very damaged one) but then her substance abuse & gambling problems got the better of her and she’d constantly get psychotically violent with our kids. Soon I became afraid of leaving them alone in the house with her.

You’re better off without such a woman in your life.
 
I am very sorry to hear about the dissolution of your marriage. After my divorce in 2006, I felt like a dinghy floating in an ocean storm. Curiously, it was a line from a poem that brought me the perspective I wanted: “Is it that a single arrow hath driven the from the battle?”
I wish you all the best in regrouping…and in selling that amazing rifle!
 
Not sure my opinion amounts to a hill of beans, but I liked this rifle when it was for sale in France. I liked it again when it was serviced in OK. I liked it again at rarebreeds. I still like it.

If it said Westley on it instead of ANCSL made by Westley, it’d be $5000-$8000 more money just for an extra line of engraved text.

GLWS.
I should have picked it up back when it was still in France... :p

and to @K E Johnson : I'm very sorry for this difficult time. They have a way of bringing the best out, but can also make our lives living hell.
 
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Sorry to hear of your troubles. I thought this rifle and package would have sold by now...great builder...classic model...one of THE best stopping cartridges ever made...life time supply of components. What's not to like?
 
It's a dandy of a gun. I think the challenge is not one of value, but of mental rationalization. Humans see a price and dwell on price rather than value. Of course if it was just a gun for less money, a buyer would buy it and spend TWICE as much on the necessary components in the end, but the brain says the bigger payment in two or three lumps is cheaper. It's how we're wired and it requires higher cognitive function to think about the bigger picture. It's the same reason we fall prey to buying things that end in $0.99 because its vastly cheaper than $1.00.

If someone can do a bit of napkin math to overcome our instinctive minds, its a good value offering all the things with it you're going to need to buy to make it work anyway.

GLWS.
 

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